When I say "UP SPAW" it reminds me of a German wedding I was at. They spent the night with a polka party at the grange. i heard a lot of "Oop-pah" or something similar. Quite an image...Spaw swinging round at a polka dance!*bg* UpSpaw! May it be so!

We've had an air inversion cross the valley, so very washed out gloomy skies until today. Big, warm, beautiful Rocky mtn. sun. I could just *see* it shining on all those in need. Wishing you all the best.

In the meantime, whether you agree with Tibetan Buddhist practices or not, here is a favourite HEALING MANTRA with beautiful images, text, and music. I find it very calming.

we all doing our best to SPAW UP the drop tommy doing well,thankyou for asking wendy.becky has been dozing in his room as he needs more checking for his breathing on the new equipment.she thinks i might not wake up if i do it!.are you still up at night with your mum?. blessings pete.

Glad Tommy is doing well Pete,bless Becky ,I know the feeling! I have turned the " baby" alarm off for the last two nights as mum is able to walk out to the bathroom safely in the night now so I am sleeping better at last!However last Friday woke up in the early morning and heard a high pitched whistle that sounded like the fridge door was left open so I assumed mum was up and about in the kitchen( not very safe) so jumped out of bed and ran downstairs to find mum fast asleep, no one in kitchen but the dustcart was reversing down our lane and that was the noise!!Those baby alarms work a little too well!

So good to keep hearing of progress for so many. Pete brings up a point that we often need to remind ourselves about......Caregivers are in need of a some backup too. Many here are Caregivers and I suppose you could argue that this group is here to help in that support function. But I think we need to throw out some good vibes, prayers, Mojo, or VooDoo, to them.

Personally, I am sorta' in awe of how they do what what they do without completely freaking out and wearing out. I know what Karen often goes through with me and reading above about Becky and Pete and Wendy just triggered the suggestion in my lame brain that we all need a rousing "GO TEAM" sent out to all of them be they parents, sisters and brothers, ........To ALL of those who are weary to the bone yet we stupidly call them tireless because that is what they seem...........To everyone from the Nigel and Ann to all who have told of loved ones they have cared for...........

THANK YOU GO TEAM

Good point Spaw. I am in awe of my Rog and how he takes care of me, goes to work, and a myriad of other things. Since last summer, he's had to take on a lot more in caretaking me. I am grateful, but worry about the stress on him.

Up Spaw, up Spaw & raise another glass. Up Spaw, up Spaw, you've fallen on your arse! The grog has proved too strong my boy & gone straight to your head So get ye down below the decks & get ye straight to bed!

It would be good to hear from all those Crew Members in America & Canada who have been deluged by the snow storm. Assuming you have power & your internet is up, a quick check in just so's we know you're ok. If you know of anyone who is cut off, no power etc, etc & can't check in, let us know too, then we can paint a rainbow around them, keep them safe & warm & maybe, who knows, perhaps the snow will melt a little faster. With Love, Nigel & Ann. xxxxxxxxxx

Hey, Pete. Howzit? Just fooling around with the summer scene remark. Gnu would understand because that's often what people think the country is like year 'round. We had a wee bit of snow--a half meter in places. Nothing major. At least nothing to prevent people getting out and about.

good thoughts needed for one of my best friends, had some chemotherapy recently for some months, now having stem cells taken tomorrow, he is a very well known folk musician in the UK , but would not like me to mention his name. But mudcat mojo is going to help I know. Pete, I think you may know who he is so pm me and I will give you more information.

Hello, all. Here in New Hampshire it was just a blizzard out of the good old days. We didn't even lose power! Alouette and I and a few of our friends attended the village church service this morning, at the request of a dear woman celebrating her 90 th birthday today. All she wanted for her birthday was for the five of us to sing a sweet song we do called "Here in this place" by Peter Fischmann, about the beauty of rural New England in February. The chorus goes:

Here in this place, I have all I ever wanted. Here in this place, I have everything I need. I have love, I have beauty, I have grace, Here in this place.

I am grateful that I can sing this song with a full heart- every word is true. May it be true for us all.

hi bruce-we went to the toronto area some years ago [i know its a long way from you] and the first day there i went for a cycle along the lake.it was very refreshing but perishing cold,even without snow.

hi wendy-is this folkie a regular at footscray or kemsing sessions? apart from those i mostly do open mics.i dont know how to do a pm but maybe if he wanted me to know he will mention it. posted with a prayer-God knows who he is. blessings pete.

I too lived in Toronto for a year in 1980, we were on St Clair, loved the city in winter, a different cold to the UK!I remember taking the children to see Niagera falls when it was frozen very beautiful!

Pete my friend is very well known in Kent, thank you for your prayer! Now we have heard that my brother in law in New Jersey has had a heart attack. What is going on ? Is it because the year has a 13 in it?

I guess I've been taking a bit of a back seat over the past few days...been concentrating on composing. Apart from the fact that it's something I enjoy immensely, the 'creative process' has helped lift the severe depressive episodes I have been experiencing over the last month or so. What is also pleasing is to read your posts, safe in the knowledge that our Thread is in good hands. So we have information about the snow storm in America & Canada; beautiful words from a beautiful song (would it be considered a hymn?)...more folks in need of our thoughts & prayers...interesting personal anecdotes & a cheery sprinkling of humour. Nourishment for the Heart & Mind. Jane is 'between treatments'. She has finished with the radiotherapy, but can't resume chemo for another couple of weeks. She remains cheerful, but needs plenty of timeouts to rest. Jane is trying to set herself one, achievable task, job, a pleasurable, personal moment. One special thing for each day. So far, she has not missed a day. She is a wiz in the kitchen, so that's where she often ends up, but what the hell, her sense of satisfaction & achievement is worth it's weight in gold. Jane has even gone out of her way to make (and buy) diabetic friendly food, just for me. With everything she has on her mind, she still makes time for others. I love her so much. Keep warm, stay safe, With Love, Nigel & Ann. xxxxxxxxxx

lovely to read of janes positive and thoughtful spirit and enjoyment of accomplishment in the kitchen when she might justifyably not have found the energy.good too,nigel ,to see that your music construction is countering the depression. continueing to wish the best to the well known folkie and to wendys brother in law.[i,m sure the 13th is incidental!]

Let me report that the UP campaign has met with moderate success!!! I was overjoyed to find that I maintained the same number from last week. When you have been going down pretty regularly that's damn good. We'll see where we are next week and continue on from there. Throw in the occasional UP thought if you get a chance and I thank you for all the ones given last week that seemed to help!!!

Nigel, tell Jane I know something of what she feels. I love to cook and those times over the past years when things have been bad, I never felt right or myself again until I was cooking. It brings on the feeling of normalcy and usefulness like nothing else for me. Everyone has something different I suppose but I can really identify with Jane in the kitchen.

Sending a giant cast iron soup kettle of great thoughts Jane's way today!

UP HIGHER, SPAW! Frogprince, that's one of my favorite songs by Mustard's Retreat. Nigel, I think Jane's plan to do one special thing each day is wise. And as she moves around her kitchen, she might gradually rebuild some strength.

I heard a song on the TV program, "Judging Amy," many years ago that just struck me hard with a combination of tune and lyrics. I like the writer, Peter Himmelman, who did all the music for the show. It took him years to record it and it finally hit YouTube.

The song's name is "The Best Kind of Answer." Why am I posting this stuff here? Because there is something in the lyric that speaks to me about the transcendency of real love......that love is all powerful and can heal our pain and transcend words. This isn't to say I don't like to say the word. On the contrary! But it's like knowing that people in this group love each other and their families. The kind of love that you know is there when you just look into the eyes of someone. Nigel and Ann......Is there any doubt that Jane knows how much you care just by looking at the two of you? Wendy? Know what I mean? I know Janie does.....and Maeve though none of us have met.

The song says the best kind of love can wash away pain, and the best kind of answer has no sound. I believe that......I really do. Enjoy.

Just checking in to let you all know that Ann & I are ok, but we're becoming increasingly concerned about Jane. The cancer has made her bones so brittle that she may well have broken her hip. She's been back in hospital this week. I'll know more after the weekend. Ann's been with her all week, I've been at home because of my own appointments. There is a building momentum with Jane's state of health of a kind that is starting to make us deeply anxious. Methinks that spot on the horizon is closer than we thought. With Love to You All, Nigel & Ann. xxxxxxxxxx